Even as the US is seen to discourage India from procuring advanced weapon systems from Russia, India and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to military-technical cooperation saying that discussions are underway to manufacture "additional" Russian military equipment in India under the `Make in India` initiative. Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Delhi and laid the groundwork for PM Narendra Modi`s summit meeting with President Vladimir Putin later in 2021. Lavrov made it a point to mention that efforts to cobble together NATO-like alliances in Asia would be counterproductive and said that issue had been discussed in the meeting. Lavrov didn`t directly say that the military alliance he referred to was `The Quad`, but did say India did not call it a military alliance. The visit by Lavrov came in the middle of the 3-day Quad plus France military exercise in the Bay of Bengal. Lavrov`s remarks on the proposal to manufacture more equipment in India came in response to a question about the threat of sanctions on India by the Biden administration if the Modi government went ahead with the purchase of S 400 air defence system from Russia. Both Ministers did not specify as to the actual delivery date of the much awaited S 400 system. The Indian Minister said the issue will be discussed when the defence ministers meet later in 2021. The meeting saw Jaishankar sharing India`s understanding of the Indo-Pacific, a concept which Moscow refuses to acknowledge. Both leaders discussed the developing situation in Afghanistan with Lavrov underlining the "similarity of Russian and Indian approaches”. Jaishankar said what happens in Afghanistan impacts India`s security directly and shared India`s approach that a durable peace there will require harmonising interests of all, both within and around that country. Seeking to allay some of Russia`s apprehensions about the Indo-Pacific, Jaishankar said India was strongly committed to ASEAN centrality and that this was underlined by the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
Even as the US is seen to discourage India from procuring advanced weapon systems from Russia, India and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to military-technical cooperation saying that discussions are underway to manufacture "additional" Russian military equipment in India under the `Make in India` initiative. Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Delhi and laid the groundwork for PM Narendra Modi`s summit meeting with President Vladimir Putin later in 2021. Lavrov made it a point to mention that efforts to cobble together NATO-like alliances in Asia would be counterproductive and said that issue had been discussed in the meeting. Lavrov didn`t directly say that the military alliance he referred to was `The Quad`, but did say India did not call it a military alliance. The visit by Lavrov came in the middle of the 3-day Quad plus France military exercise in the Bay of Bengal. Lavrov`s remarks on the proposal to manufacture more equipment in India came in response to a question about the threat of sanctions on India by the Biden administration if the Modi government went ahead with the purchase of S 400 air defence system from Russia. Both Ministers did not specify as to the actual delivery date of the much awaited S 400 system. The Indian Minister said the issue will be discussed when the defence ministers meet later in 2021. The meeting saw Jaishankar sharing India`s understanding of the Indo-Pacific, a concept which Moscow refuses to acknowledge. Both leaders discussed the developing situation in Afghanistan with Lavrov underlining the "similarity of Russian and Indian approaches”. Jaishankar said what happens in Afghanistan impacts India`s security directly and shared India`s approach that a durable peace there will require harmonising interests of all, both within and around that country. Seeking to allay some of Russia`s apprehensions about the Indo-Pacific, Jaishankar said India was strongly committed to ASEAN centrality and that this was underlined by the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
